LODI - Destiny appeared to be on the side of the underdogs in the Sac-Joaquin Section's opening round of the Division V playoffs.
Up to this point, the soccer seasons for both Sierra High and Ripon have been unforgettable.
STOCKTON - Ripon High had a solid day Wednesday at the Trans Valley League Track and Field Championship held at DeRicco Stadium on the campus of Delta College.
There wasn't else much Manuel Pires could say to his players except, "Thank you," after Sierra cruised to a 5-0 victory over visiting El Dorado of Placerville to open the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs Tuesday.
RIPON - Heading into the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs, the Ripon Indians were looking to get back into the flow of things after a loss to Hughson at the end of the Trans Valley League season had exposed a few previously unseen flaws in Ripon's team game.
The glass slippers appear to fit. Now it's just a matter of Cinderella dancing her way into the championship round. After sneaking out of a wild Trans Valley League race and into the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs, the battle-tested Ripon Indians - making their first postseason appearance since 2005 and first under second-year head coach Mark Whelan - have to like their chances when they open with Western Athletic Conference two seed Patterson tonight ...
WOODLAND - In a rematch of last season's Sac-Joaquin Section Division II first round, Pioneer of Woodland exacted a little revenge on the Manteca Buffaloes Tuesday, claiming a 5-4 victory.
OAKDALE - Scores of area athletes had what it took to qualify for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV Championships Saturday at Oakdale High, the site of the 2009 Valley Oak League Track & Field Championships.
OAKDALE - While Oakdale was busy racking up the win on the junior varsity boys' side Saturday at the Valley Oak League Championships, a couple of Lathrop jumpers had impressive days.
The 2009 East Union freshman softball team finished a perfect season at 21-0 that included an undefeated run through Valley Oak League play and an elusive win against Tracy High, the first of head coach Ron Kackley's career.
A coin flip, as it turns out, will not decide the Sierra High baseball team's postseason fate.
Just call her the "Cookie Monster." Despite a forfeiture request from Oakdale High spawning from an incident that happened in Sonora on April 20, the East Union Lancers set aside all the distractions Friday night at Northgate Park and sent off five seniors in style with a 10-0 blanking of Manteca. Alicia Cook, a four-year starter affectionately known as "Cookie" in Lancer circles, led the emotional charge with the first home run of her career. ...
Word came down well before game time Friday at Sierra High that the Oakdale Mustangs were requesting a forfeit because of a situation with an East Union player, and that if the forfeit is upheld, Sierra's season would come to a close following seven innings with Weston Ranch.
RIPON - Senior ace Sarah Nieweg took her final bow, and freshman Katie Thomas gave Ripon Christian a promising glance into the future as the Knights ended both the season and a 30-game Trans Valley League losing streak with a 10-4 victory against rival host Ripon Friday.
Sierra High's girls track and field team returns to the site where it suffered its only Valley Oak League loss today.
LODI - Austin Ragsdale is no small-time pitcher on a small-school team.
Jim Todd took a moment to himself to wade through the emotions following a season-ending loss to Colfax.
Will Brink didn't need a playoff hole to qualify for the CIF State Golf Championships, but he did need a strong finish to earn his spot.
STOCKTON - Senior grad night and the always-pesky Kimball softball team almost got the better of Sierra in Friday's Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV semifinal at Arnaiz Stadium.
LODI – Ripon Christian's Danny Vander Molen was handed the ball for just his third start of the season Friday night.
RIPON – Kevin Tameling remembers a time not so long ago when Ripon Christian was all heart with little results.
Phillip Herrera and Emmanuel Elijah opted not to join their senior classmates at Magic Mountain Thursday night.
STOCKTON – Nicole Kaiser performed like she had a ticket to play Division I softball on Thursday.
Racing against time and trailing by a score, the East Union girls soccer team turned to desperation.
LODI – Jake Corn had confidence in his fastball.
LODI - Chandler Bengston woke up Central Catholic's bats with a loud two-run dinger that sparked a game-breaking, two-out rally.
STOCKTON - Allie Walljasper had plenty to do with Sierra punching its ticket to the semifinal of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV softball tournament Wednesday night.
RIO LINDA – Teagan Manus scored a hat trick and Bryanna Heida earned the clean sheet as Ripon Christian moved within one win of its first Sac-Joaquin Section championship.
LODI – The Ripon Christian Knights used their 12-day layoff to get back to the fundamentals.
Sierra High's 4x100 boys relay team broke the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV/V Meet record Tuesday on its home track.